£200,000 for community projects in Broch and Blue Toon

Sean O’Neil

Fraserburgh and Peterhead are to receive £200,000 for community initiatives and projects aimed at promoting health and wellbeing.

The move is part of a new scheme called Your Voice Your Choice that will see residents within designated areas (shown in maps) of each town asked to vote on which projects should get the funding.

Peterhead map

The funding is being made available by the Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership.

The new partnership of Aberdeenshire Council and NHS Grampian which will deliver health and social care services across the shire.

Cllr Anne Allan, Vice Chair of Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership, said: “We will be working extensively with groups and individuals in the community to encourage as many people as possible to get involved.

“The funding can be used for anything that improves health and wellbeing and there is lots of support and advice for those considering applying available.”

Each town will receive £100,000 with any one project being able to bid for up to £10,000.

Local residents will then be able to cast their vote on special decision days being held on 18th June in Fraserburgh and 25th June in Peterhead.

Anyone with an idea or existing project that will help improve health in the most deprived areas of Fraserburgh and Peterhead are being encouraged to submit a bid.

Raymond Bisset, Chair of Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership and NHS Grampian Board member, said: “We are really excited to be empowering the local community in this way and hope that it can make a real difference to health and wellbeing in the area.

“Participatory budgeting, as the process is called, has been hugely successful in other parts of the UK.

He added: “If it’s successful it could be rolled out to other areas so this is a great chance for Peterhead and Fraserburgh to set the standard for others to aspire to.”

Your Voice Your Choice will be officially launched on Wednesday March 9 in both Peterhead and Fraserburgh.

It will be launched at 12:30pm at the JIC building in Fraserburgh and 2:30pm at the Rescue Hall in Peterhead.